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Chapter 245 Three Hundred Years Ago
The deathly silence before the Pipa Cave was broken.

The scorpion demon pointed at the little monk Tang Sheng, who was being protected behind Sun Wukong, her voice shrill, filled with sobs and despair.
"He, he is the Golden Cicada! I've waited three hundred years, guarding this Women's Kingdom just to wait for him... But how can he be a child? How could this be?"

This earth-shattering identification made the scene even more chaotic. Nezha and the Pleiades Star Lord were instantly filled with shock, their eyes fixed on Tang Sheng.

Tang Sheng seemed to be touched by the name "Jin Chanzi". His body stopped trembling violently, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he uttered indistinct murmurs. If you listened carefully, you could vaguely hear "Jin... Chan... Zi...".

Sun Wukong frowned, completely bewildered. He had never heard of "Jin Chanzi" before, and he couldn't understand why this monster was pointing at his disciple and going crazy.

He stared warily at the scorpion demon, leaning forward slightly to shield Tang Sheng even more completely, while turning his head to look at Nezha, who seemed to know something. "Jin Chanzi? Nezha, what kind of name is Jin Chanzi, and how is he related to my disciple?"

Nezha took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and tried to explain in a calm tone.
"Jin Chanzi was the second disciple of the Buddha Tathagata on Mount Ling in the Western Paradise, and his status was extremely noble. It is said that he was reprimanded for disrespecting the Buddha's teachings during a sermon, and he made a great vow to be reborn in the mortal world to experience the suffering of ten reincarnations in order to cultivate again and attain enlightenment. The last of these ten reincarnations was the Tang Monk Xuanzang who went to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures."

He paused, then looked at Tang Sheng, "But this monster says... Tang Sheng is the Golden Cicada? This, this I don't understand, it's a bit absurd."

"Absurd?" The scorpion demon seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, letting out a shrill, miserable laugh, the sound like sandpaper being rubbed together.
"Making a grand vow to voluntarily reincarnate? Hahaha, you've all been fooled! Jin Chanzi didn't descend to the mortal realm voluntarily at all; he was forced down there! He was tricked and pushed down by force."

Upon hearing this, Nezha's face showed obvious surprise. Meanwhile, the Pleiades Star Lord's expression changed drastically, and he even subconsciously took half a step back. He suddenly looked up, seemingly trying to stop the Scorpion Demon from continuing, his lips moving.

Chen Guangrui, who had been calmly observing, spoke up at this moment. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable power and clearly reached the ears of the Pleiades Star Lord.

“Pleiades Star Lord, we have gone to great lengths to help your mother extricate herself from this vortex. If you were to speak up and obstruct us now, would you be willing to jump back into this bottomless quagmire on her behalf, on behalf of you and your son?”

Pleiades Star Lord shuddered; Chen Guangrui's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. The struggle in his eyes instantly turned into deep fear. He closed his open mouth tightly, no longer daring to make a sound. His face grew even paler, and fine beads of cold sweat even seeped from his forehead. He silently lowered his head.

Seeing the reaction of the Pleiades Star Lord, the Scorpion Demon looked around at everyone, her voice lowered, yet it seemed to have a hook, pulling people into the unknown storm of Mount Ling three hundred years ago.

"Alright... since we've come this far, I'll say everything I should and shouldn't say."

The scorpion demon seemed to have made up her mind. "Three hundred years ago, on Mount Ling... something happened. It was a small matter, but it was exploited by someone with ulterior motives, and ultimately it stirred up a huge storm!"

Her gaze fell on Tang Sheng, carrying an indescribable complex emotion.

“Back then, the Buddha’s most beloved second disciple, Jin Chanzi… had an affair with an insignificant little rat spirit on Mount Ling. You may have heard of that rat spirit, the Half-Bodied Guanyin, who was the little thief who stole lamp oil in the main hall of Mount Ling.”

Hearing this, Nezha couldn't help but glance at Tang Sheng again, thinking to himself: If this little bald guy's past life was Jin Chanzi, then it makes sense. I didn't expect that even though he was a big monk before, he couldn't control himself and had such a romantic entanglement? No wonder he's so young now... He quickly stopped himself from thinking about it.

The scorpion demon noticed Nezha's gaze, snorted coldly, and continued speaking.

"Their affair was initially discovered unintentionally by Bodhisattva Vilambha."

When she said "unintentionally," her tone was full of sarcasm.

"Then, this Bodhisattva found me. She...she had a method to restrain me. My skills in using poisonous weapons to overturn horses were useless against her and her son..."

The scorpion demon's gaze swept over Pleiades, and Pleiades stiffened again, lowering his head even further. "Useless. She forced me to get close to Golden Cicada."

Chen Guangrui knew that, judging from the situation just now, this scorpion demon's poisonous stinger could even rival Sun Wukong and the Third Prince, so she must have some strengths. The fact that the Pleiades Star Lord was able to subdue her so easily showed that he had shown considerable restraint.

The scorpion demon's voice betrayed humiliation and a barely perceptible emotion, long since worn away by time.
“I dared not disobey. I… I got close to Jin Chanzi. He was a man of such high appearance and great talent, with profound knowledge of Buddhism and a venerable status… As we spent time together day and night, I gradually developed genuine feelings for him. There was indeed affection between us. This was the result that Bodhisattva Pilanpo wanted.”

She paused, seemingly recalling those unbearable past events, her voice filled with hatred.

"Later, when the time was right, the Bodhisattva Pilanpo brought up my affair with that rat demon to the Buddha. She spoke righteously and sternly, denouncing Jin Chanzi for being an unclean affair with two demons, for having moral failings, and for desecrating the pure land of Buddhism!"

"The World-Honored One, Tathagata, is enraged!" The scorpion demon's voice suddenly rose.
"His most prized disciple actually did such a thing. In order to quell the situation and punish Jin Chanzi, the World Honored One finally decided to banish him to the mortal realm to suffer the torment of ten lifetimes of reincarnation, euphemistically called letting him experience the tribulations of the mortal world and re-attain Bodhi. But anyone with discerning eyes knows that this is actually exile! And Pilanpo and his accomplices forced the World Honored One to punish his own disciple, who was also their helper. They even packaged this punishment as the key to breaking the great calamity of heaven and earth, deceiving the world! Jin Chanzi was simply forced down by their combined forces."

"That little rat spirit who stole the oil, also known as Half Guanyin, went crazy trying to save Jin Chanzi after learning that he had been demoted."

When the Scorpion Demon spoke of the half-Bodhisattva, her tone carried a hint of admiration, revealing that she had never imagined the half-Bodhisattva would cause such a stir.
"Taking advantage of the chaos, she knocked over the oil lamps in the main hall of Mount Ling. The oil spilled out and instantly ignited a great fire. Just then, another rat demon on Mount Ling, a yellow-haired rat spirit, suddenly puffed out her cheeks and blew up a gust of demonic wind to help her companion! The wind fueled the fire, and the flames soared into the sky, plunging the entire main hall of Mount Ling into chaos."

"It took the World Honored One himself to suppress the fire and the riots." A hint of lingering fear flashed in the scorpion demon's eyes.
"Afterwards, it was discovered that the troublemaking yellow-haired rat spirit was punished by the World-Honored One, apparently handed over to the Bodhisattva Lingji for safekeeping. As for the white rat spirit who knocked over the oil lamp, the Half-Bodhisattva Guanyin, the World-Honored One, out of consideration for her devoted heart, or perhaps feeling that her crime did not warrant death, could not bring himself to kill her. Just then, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, along with his Third Prince Nezha, was on a mission to Mount Ling on the Jade Emperor's orders, and they happened to witness this incident."

The Scorpion Demon looked at Nezha and said, "Whether Li Tianwang received a hint from someone or had some other consideration, he actually spoke up on the spot and recognized the White Rat Demon as his goddaughter! He said that this rat was destined to be with me. When the World Honored One saw this, he went along with it and did not pursue the White Rat Demon's death sentence. Li Tianwang then took her back to the Heavenly Court, and the matter was dropped."

Upon hearing this, Nezha's face lit up with sudden realization. He muttered to himself, "So that's how it is! I was wondering why that old fellow Li Jing, who usually wouldn't even bother stepping on an ant, suddenly wanted to adopt a goddaughter after returning from Mount Ling, and a rat spirit at that! When I asked him why, he just stammered and didn't say anything. Afterwards, he completely ignored this goddaughter and hardly mentioned her again. So that's the root of the problem! He's cleaning up this hot potato for Mount Ling and for the World Honored One!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Guangrui was reminded of the yellow-haired rat, also known as the Yellow Wind Monster. He hadn't expected this thick-browed, big-eyed fellow to have this side to him. The half-Bodied Guanyin was willing to cause a ruckus at Mount Ling to save her lover; what business was a yellow-haired rat having getting involved?
Without a doubt, the Yellow Wind Monster must be playing the role of Boiling Sheep in this story.

Thinking about this, Chen Guangrui found it amusing.

"As for me..." The scorpion demon's voice suddenly turned shrill, filled with endless resentment and a hint of madness.
"I wanted to save Jin Chanzi too. I didn't care about anything else and rushed to the World Honored One to plead for him, but..."

She seemed to recall that earth-shattering blow, and her tone carried a strange sense of pride, "As you all know, I was driven to desperation and used my Poisonous Horse Sting to sting the World Honored One's hand hard! The World Honored One's golden body is so sturdy, yet he still felt great pain."

“I know I have committed a heinous crime by stinging the Buddha, and there is no place for me on Mount Ling.”

The scorpion demon's tone turned low and forlorn, "I thought I was doomed. But unexpectedly, it was Bodhisattva Pilanpo who saved me. She stepped in to protect me, saying that my actions were excusable and that my actions against Jin Chanzi were also meritorious, so the merits and demerits canceled each other out. Perhaps the World-Honored One had some reservations, but in the end, he acquiesced."

"Pilamba then took the opportunity to settle me near this Women's Kingdom, ostensibly to recuperate, but in reality, to have me monitor the Women's Kingdom's activities, especially the operation of the Mother-Child River and the Abortion Spring, and report to her at any time. She told me to wait until the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi passed through this place on his pilgrimage..."

She looked at Tang Sheng, her eyes filled with confusion and pain, "But I've waited three hundred years, and what I've gotten is a child like this? Is he really Jin Chanzi? What went wrong?"

The Scorpion Demon's narration finally came to an end, leaving only the sound of the wind and her heavy breathing before the Pipa Cave. The immense amount of information exploded in everyone's hearts like a thunderclap.

Nezha's expression shifted constantly. He never imagined that the seemingly accidental fire at Mount Ling three hundred years ago and the stinging of Buddha were actually hiding so many things.

Pleiades Star Lord lowered his head, his body trembling slightly. The deep involvement of his mother, Pilanpo, filled him with fear and unease, and Chen Guangrui's warnings still echoed in his ears.

Sun Wukong frowned as he listened. Although he was not interested in the intricacies of Mount Ling, he felt a surge of anger when he heard that someone was plotting to harm people, especially his disciple's past life.

He gripped the golden cudgel tightly and asked in a deep voice, "According to you, my disciple Tang Sheng is the reincarnation of that damned Golden Cicada?"

He only hoped that Tang Sheng could live peacefully in Huaguo Mountain and didn't want him to get involved in these sordid matters.

Chen Guangrui remained the calmest of them all. After listening to the scorpion demon's story, his face showed no surprise, as if he were merely confirming something he already knew.

Only the Scorpion Demon knew this much. Although many things had been connected, there was one thing he still didn't know.

Motivation—all of these things seem logical, but what about the motivation?

Why would Bodhisattva Virupa do such things? You should know that even if she succeeds in plotting against the Buddha's disciple, she may not be able to withstand the Buddha's wrath afterwards.

What kind of benefits would motivate her to do this?
Chen Guangrui looked at the Pleiades Star Lord, who lowered his head. He must know something, but he certainly wouldn't say it.

Now, it seems he won't get any useful information if he tries to ask any further questions.

At this moment, Tang Sheng, who had been feeling unwell, suddenly opened his eyes and said in a weak voice, "Dad, I feel so bad. I saw so many things and I want to speak, but I can't."

Inside a side hall of the Lingxiao Palace, the four emperors sat quietly with their eyes lowered, a silent pressure permeating the swirling immortal mist.

Venus, holding a jade tablet, bowed and reported:
"Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, Marshal Tianpeng descended to the mortal realm today and discovered that the spider demon of the Spider Cave, the centipede demon of the Yellow Flower Temple, and even the scorpion demon of the Pipa Cave are all intricately connected with Bodhisattva Pilanpo. News has just arrived from the Buddhist sect..."

He paused deliberately, raising his voice slightly, "Bodhisattva Vimalamitra has announced to the Three Realms that he has become too deeply entangled in worldly affairs and will now close himself off to cultivate in seclusion, forever severing ties with the outside world."

On his throne, the Great Celestial Venerable lightly tapped the gilded armrest with his fingertips, a faint glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"Tranquility is rare indeed," the Great Celestial Venerable spoke slowly, his voice like the clinking of jade stones, revealing neither joy nor anger.
“Vairambhava was able to see through illusions and sever causality, which is truly a great wisdom. Vulture Peak has lost a hardworking Bodhisattva, but gained a clear-minded practitioner.”

He downplayed the matter in his words, describing it as "sudden enlightenment and spiritual practice," while the four emperors in the side hall remained silent, seemingly oblivious to what he had heard.

Venus continued, "There is another matter. Xuanzang's disciple, Zhu Ganglie, has left the pilgrimage team and returned to Penglai alone."

"Hmph." The Great Celestial Venerable's lips curled slightly. "I gave him the chance to return to the ranks of immortals, but he couldn't even withstand a few calamities. He's utterly unfit for important tasks." These four words fell like ice beads to the ground, and Marshal Tianpeng's future was completely sealed at this moment.

The Great Celestial Venerable suddenly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the dome and looking into the depths of the Thirty-Three Heavens, "When will the pilgrims reach Mount Sumeru?"

“Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable,” Taibai Jinxing calculated with his fingers, “Chen Guangrui has cleared away the demonic obstacles along the way, and the road to the west is now clear. According to the pace of mortals, it will still take two months.”

(End of this chapter)